Grace Irene (Demler) Schultz

Grace Irene Schultz, 86, of Huntsville, Alabama, died of Alzheimer’s Disease at HarborChase of Huntsville on January 31. Grace leaves behind her husband, David, sons Floyd Mueller (Tania d.) of Brownwood, Texas; Eric Schultz (Kellie) of Huntsville, Alabama; and Kurt (Cheryl) Schultz of Huntsville, Alabama. Grace leaves behind six grandchildren. She was predeceased by her brothers Benjamin Demler and David Demler.

Grace Schultz was born Grace Irene Demler in North Tonawanda, New York on September 16,1936. Grace grew up on a farm with her parents, Wilbert and Hattie, and her brothers, Benjamin and David. While growing up in western New York, just miles from Niagara Falls, she attended St. Paul’s Lutheran Church where she was confirmed. Grace attended North Tonawanda High School, graduating in 1954 and then attending Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana, graduating with a BS in Education in 1958.

One week after graduating from Valparaiso, Grace married David Schultz, of North Tonawanda on June 7, 1958. After their wedding, Grace, working as a teacher, and David, working as an engineer, moved around the country making a home several times in Milwaukee, Wisconsin suburbs; Merced, Anaheim, and Palos Verdes, California; Groveland and Acton, Massachusetts; and finally calling Huntsville, Alabama home in 1970.

Soon after arriving in Huntsville, Grace opened a tutoring service, The Reading Center, later adding a primary school named Schola Maxima. Together, these institutions educated thousands of Huntsville children. Whether it was teaching a first-grader to sound out words or helping business leaders read faster, Grace was always teaching. Grace believed a good education could lead a child to fulfill their dreams, and her students did often come back to see Grace and thank her. The Reading Center was Grace’s passion and life’s work. The Reading Center and Schola Maxima closed in 2008 when Grace retired. Grace was always surrounded by children and that’s the way she liked it.

Grace loved to sing. She was most recently active in the choir at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, but sang in the choirs at Ascension Lutheran Church and Grace Lutheran Church. She also taught Sunday School at Ascension and Grace. Grace was active in the Lutheran Church since she was confirmed at St. Paul’s in her hometown of North Tonawanda, New York.

Grace and David enjoyed travel and took planes, trains, and automobiles around the world from Germany to Japan visiting friends and seeing the sights. For years, Grace opened her home every summer to a teacher from Europe to spend a time in the United States as part of the American Host cultural exchange program. As much as she enjoyed international travel, Grace and David traveled from Alabama to New York frequently to see friends and family.

Grace was quick to laugh and share a story. Grace was full of love for her family, friends, and students. Grace was a loving wife, an exceptional mother and grandmother, and always a teacher.

Her memorial service will be held at Grace Lutheran Church on Saturday, February 11, 2023, at 1:30 PM. A reception will follow in the church’s Assembly room. The family thanks the HarborChase and Compassus Hospice caregivers for the comfort and care they have given Grace during her illness. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Grace Lutheran School Endowment Fund or to The Alzheimer’s Association.

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